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Dissidents' Letter Says Human Rights Have Deteriorated

May 30, 1999|By From Tribune News Services.

HONG KONG, CHINA — A group of Chinese dissidents led by Wang Dan has written to the U.S. Congress and the United Nations saying human rights in China have deteriorated because the international community failed to pressure the government.

"As the 10th anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre approaches, the Chinese government has intensified its suppression of the dissident movement in China," the letter said.

It said dissidents were arrested recently only because they were trying to prepare for commemorative activities.

The letter also said the recent NATO bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade had given the officials an excellent opportunity to divert its people's attention to external matters.

It said if the international community did not apply pressure, human rights in China would deteriorate further.

On June 4, 1989, Chinese tanks crushed massive pro-democracy protests centered around Beijing's Tiananmen Square, killing hundreds of people. The protests were led by student activists, including Wang Dan, who now lives in exile in the United States.